Bridge for presses.



PATENTED JAN. 22,1907.

' W. H. H. MUSIGK.

BRIDGE FOR PRESSES.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 19, 1906.

[NVENTORJ flan/lg WITNESSES.-

A TTORNE Y5 :Rscm, wnsumcrou, a a

UNITED sTATEs PATENT orunon.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J an. 22, 1907.

Application filed June 19,1906. Serial No. 322,422,

Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. MU- sIcK, a citizen of the United States,residing at Hartville, in the county of Wright and State of Missouri,have invented a new and useful Bridge for Presses, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to a bridge orattachment adapted to be used inconnection with an ordinary form of job-printing press, such as isrovided with a press-bed, a reciprocating p aten, an inking-plate, andinking rollers adapted to supply ink to the form clamped on thepress-bed.

In most printing establishments wherein job-presses are employeddifficulty is frequently experienced by an old man or a young boy inattempting to fit a heavy chase,

containing a form of type against the press bed in the operation oflocking it in position, it being understood that in order to fit theform into place it is necessary to hold-the same at arms length andreach over the platen as well as the feed-table.

The object of the present invention is to provide a simple, durable,inexpensive, and thoroughly efficient bridge which is adapted to beremovably held between the press-bed and the platen, so as to act as acombined support and guide along which the heavy form can be moved inthe operation of applying itto the press-bed.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, which will appear as thedescription proceeds, the invention resides in the combination andarrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafterdescribed and claimed, it being understood that changes in the preciseembodiment of invention herein disclosed can be made within the scope ofthe following claims without departing from the spirit of the inventionor sacrificing any of its advantages.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, Fi re1 is a perspective view of a portion of a j ob-printing press with theimproved attachment of this invention removably fitted between theplaten-and the press-bed. Fig. 2 isa top plan view of the improvedbridge attachment. Fig. 3 is an under plan view thereof. Fig. 4 is aview in elevation looking at the lower edge of the bridge attachment.Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4, showing a slightlymodifiedconstruction. Fig. 6 is a side elein any suitable manner.

derstanding of the present invention it has been illustrated inconnection with part of an ordinary job-printing press comprising alaten 1, a press-bed 2, an inking-plate 3, and

name 4, which latter forms the sides of the press-bed, as shown.

As is well known, the form of type 5 is suitably locked in the chase 6of usual form. In applying the form to the press-bed it is necessary tograsp the sides of the chase in the hand, holding the same in a verticalposition, with the faces of the type toward the printer and away fromthe press-bed. The printer then reaches over the platen 1, holding theform at, arms length, and places it against the press-bed 2, where it islocked in position As before mentioned, this operation of applying theform is quite difficult when the form is heavy and the printer is notparticularly strong.

In order to decrease the difficulty of applying the form to thepress-bed, I provide what I term a bridge 8, which is supported in anysuitable manner between the platen 1 and the press-bed 2, so as to actas a support for the heavy form when it is being applied to thepress-bed. The bridge 8 preferably consists of a rectangular plate orboard, which may be constructed of any suitable material. On its upperface the bridge 8 is provided with a pair of chase-guides 9 9, whichserve to guide the chase and form accurately into position upon thepress-bed. The chase-guides 9 9 also act as braces to strengthen thebridge 8, as will be apparent. The chase-guides 9 9 preferably aredisposed farthest from each other at their upper ends and convergeslightly toward each other from their upper to their lower ends, asshown. The upper ends of the chase-guides 9, preferably are outwardlybeveled, as indicated at 10, so as to provide a wide entrance portionfor the lower ing into the channel 15.

end of the chase containing the form of type. At their lower ends thechase-guides 9 are provided with beveled projections 11, which fitagainst the opposite sides 4 of the pressbed 2, so as to prevent thebridge 8 from being laterally misplaced with relation to the pressbed.On its under surface adjacent its upper end the bridge 8 preferably isprovided with a pair of bearing-blocks 12, which rest against anysuitable portion of-the platen I 1, so as to support the upper end ofthe bridge 8. In its lower edge the bridge 8 is formed with a cut-awayportion 14:, which I shall term a type-slot, in that its function is toprovide a clearance for the projecting faces of the type when they reachthe lower edge of the bridge and when the form is tilted upward intovertical position against the pressbed 2. I/Vhile the upper surface ofthe bridge 8 is usually flat, still in some instances when the faces ofthe type project a considerable distance beyond the chase it ispreferable to form in the upper surface of the bridge a typechannel 15,Fig; 5, which is deep enough to receive the faces of the type withoutpermitting them to scratch against the upper surface of the bridge, itbeing understood that the sides of the chase 6 when the channel 15 isemployed will rest upon the ledges 16 at the sides of thetype-channel15. When the type-channel 15 is used, the chase containingthe form of type can be placed face downward up on the bridge 8, withthe type proj ect- The chase is then slid downward upon the uppersurface of the bridge 8 until its lower edge engages the pressbed 2. Therear upper edge of the chase is then swung upward, so that the form oftype is disposed flat against the press-bed 2, as will be understood.The bridge 8 of course is then removed and the ink-rollers, which it isusually necessary to move out of the way when it is desired to changethe form of type, are replaced in position to supply ink to the form.The press is then in condition for use. When it is desired to remove theform, the bridge 8 is again placed in position and utilized as a supportup which the form is drawn iftgr it has been disengaged from the press-As before explained, the bridge 8 can be supported between the press-bed2 and the platen 1 in any suitable manner. In some forms of printingpresses the lower end of the bridge 8 can rest upon and be supported bythe saddle-pieces which carry the inkrollers. The preferred means,however, which I use for supporting the bridge 8 consists of a pair ofsupporting devices 20, which are in the form of rods having threadedlower ends extending through the chase-guid es 9 and bridge 8 and beingprovided above and below the bridge with retaining-nuts 21. At theirupper ends the rods 20 are bent, as indicated at 22, to form hooks whichare adapted to engage the recessed portion 23 in the rear edges of theframe 4, which forms the sides of the pressbed. It will be understoodthat the supporting devices or rods 20 can be readily enaged with ordisengaged from the printingpress by loosening their nuts and rotatingthem slightly, so that their hooks 20 will become engaged with ordisengaged from the press.

The bridge attachment of this invention is strong, simple, durable, andinexpensive in construction, as well as thoroughly efficient inoperation.

As shown in Fig. 6, the rear end of the bridge 8 adjacent thebearing-blocks 12 may be recessed slightly, as indicated at 12, to receive the forward edge of the platen 1, in which case the bearing-blocks12 will engage the forward vertical edge of said platen, so as toprevent any rearward slipping of the bridge upon. the platen.

In most forms of presses it will be desirable to incline the supportingdevices ZOfslightly rearward, as shown in Fig. 6.

What is claimed is- 1. The combination with a printing-press having apress-bed and a platen, of a removable bridge arranged and adapted toform a temporary support for receiving a chase during the placing andremoval thereof. Y

2. The combination with a printing-press having a press-bed and platen,of a removable bridge having one end located adjacent the press-bed andthe other end located adj acent the platen.

3. The combination with a printing-press having a press-bed and aplaten, of a removable bridge arranged and adapted to form a temporarysupport for a chase to rest on during the placing or removal thereof,and guides on the bridge for the chase.

4. The combination with a printing-press having a press-bed and platen,of a removable bridge having converging form or chase guides.

5. The combination with a printing-press having a press-bed and platen,of a removable bridge having converging form or chase guides providedwith beveled upper ends.

6. The combination with a printing-press having a platen and apress-bed, of a bridge adapted to be placed over the platen only. duringthe positioning or removal of the chase and having chase-guides providedwith projections adapted to engage the sides of the press-bed.

7. The combination with a-printing-press having a platen and a pressbed,of a removable bridge forming a temporaryjsupport for a chase andmounted between the platen and the press-bed and having a type-slot inits lower end.

8. The combinationiwithj'agprinting-press having a platen and apress-bed, of a removable bridge forming a temporary support for a chaseand mounted between the platen and the press-bed and having a type-slotin its lower end and a type-channel in its upper surface.

9. The combination with a printing-press having a platen and apress-bed, of a bridge forming a temporary support for a chase andlocated between the platen and the press-bed, and means for holding thebridge in proper position.

10. The combination with a printing-press having a platen and apress-bed, of a bridge forming a temporary support for a chase andlocated between the platen and the pressbed, and supporting devicesconnected with 1tahe bridge and engaging the sides of the press- 1 1.The combination with a printing-press having a platen and a press-bed,of a bridge 20 located between the platen and the press bed, said bridgehaving combined guides and braces on its upper surface, bearing-blockson its under surface, a type-slot in its lower edge, atype-channel inits upper surface, and hookrods extending through the combined bracesand guides and through the bridge.

12. As an article of manufacture, a pressbridge forming a temporarysupport for a chase during the positioning thereof in a press or removalof the chase therefrom, chase-guides on the upper surface of the bridge,and a type-slot at the lower edge of the latter.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto aflixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

. WILLIAM H. H. MUSICK.

Witnesses:

L. W. SIMMs, J. S. LATHRAM.

